Florida Real Estate Trade Groups Merge

Two real estate broker trade associations in Florida’s Palm Beach and Broward counties have announced a plan to merge.

The proposed union of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches and Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors will create an entity that has 25,000 members, making it the third-largest regional real estate trade association in the country behind the organizations in Miami and Houston. The members of both groups will need to approve the merger before it can be made final.

“Our reimagined association will bring localized service to our members while harnessing our strength and size to provide cutting edge technology and influential advocacy,” said Dionna Hall, chief executive of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches. “The organization will place even more emphasis on integrating key technologies.”

Hall will become CEO of the new Realtors of the Palm Beaches and Greater Fort Lauderdale. Ron Lennen, president of the Fort Lauderdale association, will become president elect of the new association. The merged association's multiple listing services is expected to carry more than 40,000 on-market listings, totaling over $21 billion in inventory.